Of mice and Scrabble

Life is good.

Bestest boyfriend and I took a long weekend and met my sister and her best friend at Starved Rock State Park for fun and games for the second year in a row. We had such a good and relaxing time last year we decided to repeat it.

BB and I were the last to arrive Friday night. The girlz came out to the car to help us unload (is there something wrong with 2 people...... ummm.... one person packing so much stuff that it takes 4 people to carry it in???) and we immediately took off for dinner in the main lodge.

I love the lodge... it was built in 1939 and the decor hasn't changed one iota since then. The couchs (couches??) haven't been comfortable since they were built, the lighting is rotten and wi-fi is only available in the Great Room. But I love it! This year we stayed in the Pioneer Cabins - cathedral ceilings, no television, quiet, rustic, (yes there is running water and plumbing and even air conditioning) and mice. Yupo, critters. Or critter. K&K were the ones blessed with the 3am visitor.... the first night KP tried to tell KT that the sound was just ice melting in the cooler..... KT bought the story until the noise of little tiny feet shuffling across the wood dresser pestered my sisters subconscious while KT was in the bathroom 5 minutes later. A quick flip of the light switch and a mad grab for glasses and all KP came away with was the image of a furry thing scooting out the cabin somewhere in the vicinity of her suitcase. (Personally, I think the critter now lives in Michigan... with a greyhound and a cockapoo and KP) Much digging thru stuff reveiled that the visitor has pica..... (an abnormal appetite or craving for substances that are not fit to eat, as chalk or clay).... he passed on the 400 pounds of pita chips and trail mix and chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal bars and other assorted junk food and ate....

KTs ipod cord.

sheesh.... too bad it wasn't connedted to electricity.... heh heh heh

He must have liked the experience... he came back Saturday and Sunday... same time, same place. BB heard the girlz talking about the mouse both days at 3 am.... some days, I am really glad I wear earplugs.....

We (read I) didn't get in much hiking.... too late on Friday.... Saturday morning was a yak fest with the girlz because the rain kept threatening... went wine tasting in the early afternoon..... YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!!! Nothing like BB drinking on an empty stomach!! We sampled 10 or so wines at the first place.. lovely offbeat wines with names like Red & Blue (cherries and blueberries), Starved Rock Waterfall White (a semi-sweet seyval (???), Burgoo, Cranberry, Sangarita White (with a hint of key lime) and I and M Canal (if you could see the canal you might think twice about drinking this particular bottle!!! hee hee hee) We bought a bunch of bottles.... hee hee hee

Lunch was FABULOUS!!!!! We stopped at a little tavern in beautiful downtown Utica called Duffy's. KT and I had the Rueben -totally luscious, tender corned beef smothered in perfect tasting saurkraut and 1000 Island dressing on lightly toasted rye.... we were in heaven..... BB and KP had the pulled pork sandwiches.... also excellent! And the mushrooms..... (fungus) huge, hand-battered and by all accounts (not mine... wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole) very good!

Lunch was followed by more wine tasting and buying and then the winos in the cornfield headed for the trail..... (hic) we managed to get in a nice walk (stagger)(just kidding) before dinner, which was okay... dinner, that is... but it was slow and cut into some very valuable Scrabble time. After one game, we were all toast and headed for bed.

Sunday was brunch with the parental units and a lot of horsing around in the gift shop and then a quick trip back to Melrose Park for a little good-bye lunch with the girlz from the old job. I ate too too too much garlic and zipped back to Starved Rock for more dinner, more girly conversation (with BB as the moderator) and more Scrabble and other games (and chips and cookies and trail mix and stuff..... )

It was a great weekend... I highly recommend long weekends with friends and board games....

(hic)